Mount Coronet
by Krauthammer
Summary: In a vacation in Mount Coronet, a woman is murdered. Everybody, including Pokémon, has enough motives to kill her, but the proof points towards one concrete suspect. Is it the killer? The words Lawrence Krauthammer heard one night in the hotel, may be a useful indication?
1. Chapter 1

_This is an adaptation of a book, not an original story. _

_To make everything easier, here is a list of the characters in this story:_

_Humans:_

_-Lawrence Krauthammer: Detective, currently in vacation._

_-Mrs. Bouyant : Former owner of a taming center for problematic Pokémon in Unova._

_-Leonard Bouyant: Son of Mrs. Bouyant_

_-Gail Bouyant: Daughter of Mrs. Bouyant_

_-Nina Bouyant: Leonard's wife._

_-Sergeant Crow: Investigator from Eterna City._

_-Marcus: Guide in Mt. Coronet._

_Pokémon:_

_-River (Male Floatzel). Coral's brother. Belongs to Gail_

_-Coral (Female Floatzel). River's sister. Belongs to Gail_

_-Tennyson (Male Reuniclus). Delivering stuff to his master by himself. Belongs to unnamed psychologist_

_-Cutter (Female Zangoose). Belongs to unnamed trainer. Teammate of Lynn and Sonya._

_-Lynn (Female Mienshao). Belongs to unnamed trainer. Teammate of Cutter and Sonya._

_-Sonya (Female Slowpoke). Belongs to unnamed trainer. Teammate of Cutter and Lynn._

_-Quills (Male Sandslash). Belongs to Nina_

_A few aclarations: For story-telling purposes, the protagonist is able to understand Pokémon language. I understand that it is Mary Sue-ish or borderline Mary Sue-ish, but please bear with me._

_I also follow one specific point, and it is that a trainer and his/her Pokémon are able to talk and understand each other. _

_This story is intended to have thirty-one chapters._

* * *

-Don't you understand we have to kill her?

Any human that was around wouldn't have understood a word, but there was one exception.

Lawrence Krauthammer froze and listened. He didn't hear anything else, so he shrugged and closed the window. "Don't you understand we have to kill her" he repeated to himself. He didn't give any importance to those words, but it still was funny that everywhere he went there was something that reminded him his profession, even when he was in vacation.

He laid on his bed, and analyzed the voice he heard. It sounded nervous and contained angst and excitation. What was even more curious is that it wasn't a human voice what he heard. It had traces of being the voice of a Pokémon. He took a book and thought "It wouldn't be hard for me to recognize that voice later".

In another room, near the balcony, Coral grabbed her brother's snout with one paw, indicating the need to be silent. River nodded, and as soon as his sister released his snout he repeated, this time with a lower tone. "Don't you understand we have to kill her?"

Claire shuddered, and whispered back.

-It is horrible.

-No, it is worse than horrible.

-But we can't …

River interrupted her. – You can't live like this! Neither can our master, nor I can! We have to do something, it is the only solution.

-We could flee…-Claire muttered.

-We can't, Coral. You know it. –River's voice was full of desperation. The young female Floatzel shuddered again.

-I know, Ri, I know.

-Everyone will believe we're crazy for not leaving before.

-Maybe I'm crazy. –Coral sighed.

-Maybe, but it doesn't matter. If one said that two Floatzels are planning to kill their trainer's mother, then that person would be the one considerated crazy.

Coral looked outside the window. She didn't have anything else to say about the matter.

-Do you agree with me, Coral?

Coral nodded. –Yes, she must die. – Then Coral lost her calmed demeanor. –She is insane! I'm sure she is insane! If she weren't, she wouldn't torment everyone like she does. We believe that this can't continue. We often think "She will die shortly", yet she is still alive. I don't think she will die unless…

River finished her sentence. –Unless we kill her.

-Yes.

River approached her sister, and tried to comfort her. As indifferent as he could, he kept talking: -Do you realize that one of us has to do it? We can't count with that human Leonard and his mate, and master Gail can't help us.

-Poor master! I'm afraid about her…!

-I know. Everything is getting more complicated; we have to reach a decision before she…

Coral turned her head to the room, and watched Gail Bouyant sleeping. –So you don't think it is wrong, Ri?

-It would be like killing a rabid wild Pokémon. Bouyant is somebody that hurts everyone, and must be eliminated. She can't be stopped.

-We would be executed…we can't explain how Bouyant is; only our master understands us when we talk. And who would believe her? Everyone will think it is her imagination. – Coral muttered.

-Nobody will know – River replied –I have an idea. I have thought about it for a while. We won't be in danger.

Coral turned towards her brother.

-You're different now, Ri. You have changed. Did something happen to you?

-Why do you think that?

-Because you…tell me, Ri. Did that Zangoose you met in the train influence you?

-No way. Come on, Coral, stop the nonsense. Let's go back to…to...

-Scheming. Are you sure we can do it?

-I think so. We only need a chance. And if everything goes fine, we'll be free… Everyone will be free.

-Free? –Coral went back to the room. –Finally a chance to be normal again? Then I'm ready.

-Are you sure, Coral? If you don't… -

- No, I'll do what is necessary. For us and our master. We have to save our master!

-Then this is the plan.

River leaned towards his sister and whispered his ideas.


	2. Chapter 2

Cutter the Zangoose was in the lobby of the Eterna Hotel, in the city with the same name. She was waiting for her trainer, while her teammates talked and played not too far from her. She was feeling a bit grumpy and seemed worried.

The Reuniclus that entered the lobby observed her for a moment before approaching her. Cutter acknowledged his presence, as she had seen him before, when she arrived to the hotel.

-Do you like Eterna City?- he asked

-Not very much, I was defeated by a Turtwig. It was embarrassing.

-At least you fight. My master isn't a trainer. He is a scientist in some city at the other side of Mount Coronet, I have to give him this package. –he lifted the bag he was carrying. -Do you have a nickname? Mine is Tennyson.

-Cutter. I'm just waiting here for my trainer. Tomorrow we're going to an excursion to Mount Coronet.

-Great, I'm on an excursion to that place too.

In that moment a group entered the lobby and sat near. They seemed like a family, but there was something strange in them.

-They were here yesterday. It is a curious group.

-In what sense?

-Look at them. Especially the old fat female- Cutter pointed.

He observed everyone. The Sandslash looked healthy, but after a quick examination using his psychic powers he found a weak mind and a lack of will. A male human sat down near the Sandslash, while one of the Floatzels looked around nervously. There was nothing conclusive on the human, but after examining the Floatzel, Tennyson felt nervousness and hatred, but couldn't define towards who. The other Floatzel approached a young red-headed female human, and Tennyson felt the same thing. The human girl was beautiful, but mentally she was different than her peers, almost like she had been affected by a disease. An older female human talked with the redhead. She emanated indifference, but there wasn't anything strange. And the last member of the group…

-For Arceus' sake. What a horrible human being! –he thought to himself. Her mind was dark, and her physical aspect wasn't good either. An old, fat and ugly woman.

-She isn't a nice person, right? – Cutter said –I'm no psychic, but there is something sinister in her. Her attitude towards the others is awful.

-Who are they?

-The Bouyant family. A mother, her offspring, the male human's mate and a few Pokémon.

-So they're just traveling?

-Yes, but they never talk with anyone, and they can't do anything without the mother's permission.

-It is like she is their trainer.

-She is a tyrant. They're completely dominated! –Cutter emphasized the last word. Tennyson just shrugged.

Tennyson focused his psychic powers on the Zangoose. He immediately felt the reason for her interest.

-You have talked with them, right? –he said with a smile, his psychological side taking over him.

-Yes, with the male Floatzel. That group and my group were in the same train.

-What made you want to talk with him? – Tennyson inquired.

-Did I need a reason? I just wanted.

-And what was your impression on him?

-It…was strange. –Cutter replied, flustered.

-Yes, but what did you feel?

-I felt that he was excited and uneasy at the same time. It is strange, as most trained Pokémon are confident and trusting.

-His mind and confidence aren't fully developed.

-So he isn't normal?

Tennyson shrugged and replied –In this world, who is normal? But in this case, there is an external cause for this problem.

-Surely it is that horrible woman.

-You seem to feel hatred towards her-the Reuniclus said curiously.

-I do. She is malevolent.

In that moment, River approached to them, and picked a magazine. When he was close enough, Cutter asked: -Have you been in the Gym? – It was the first words she thought. River looked around nervously. –Oh, yes, of course…- He quickly returned to his group, as he had received a mental order, and gave the magazine to the old woman. She growled. Tennyson then noted that the tyrant was carrying an Abra with her. After a mental examination, he noted mental fatigue on the Pokémon, and deduced that she must have been using the Abra to keep track of the Pokémon and know what they say, not letting the Abra sleep enough time.

-I have to go, there comes my trainer-Cutter pointed to a human with a Mienshao. In that moment, Mrs. Bouyant looked sternly at the Zangoose. Cutter flinched, and Tennyson didn't want to find out what the old tyrant was thinking. He quickly tried to distract Cutter –Then see you later.

Cutter snapped back to reality –So, will you go to Mount Coronet?-the Reuniclus nodded. Then Cutter ran to her trainer. When she was close to the Bouyant group, Mrs. Bouyant glared at the male Floatzel. He turned his head, not towards Cutter, but to the other side. Cutter noted it, and felt annoyed. He had been so kind in the train! And he seemed anxious to have a friend, yet now he was almost rude. She just had felt pity for his situation, but decided not to worry again for him.

But when her trainer took her again to the Eterna Gym to fight again, she couldn't stop thinking about River. He was oppressed, but his behavior was ridiculous! Yet…

-That Floatzel needs to be saved. And I'll help him! - That was the last thought she had before being knocked out by Gardenia's Roserade.


	3. Chapter 3

When Cutter left the lobby, Tennyson sat closer to the Bouyant group and pretended to meditate. Cutter's interest on the Bouyant family had amused him, but then his psychological traits made him to want to examine them further.

He opened his eye and focused on the male Floatzel. River was the one that had been diagnosed as "feeling nervousness and hatred", and now he judged that he could be manipulated easily. Why somebody that was traveling for pleasure was about to explode?

Tennyson focused now on the female Floatzel. She was identical to her brother, the spot on her back being the only way to differentiate them. Her eyes had the same determination than her brother. She talked too fast, undoubtedly for fear and nervousness.

-"She is afraid too. Yes, she is afraid" –Tennyson thought.

He heard parts of their conversation, a very normal conversation. "We could go near Victory Road…wouldn't that be too hard for Mom...it is called Eterna City because…Starlies and other Pokémons…a Grass type leader…"

Common tourist talk, yet Tennyson had the impression that their conversation wasn't real. It was used to hide something that couldn't be expressed with words. He closed his eyes and used his psychic powers to keep track of the Bouyants.

Leonard? The male human. He was less nervous than the others, but there was something strange in him. He was too calm. The Reuniclus read Leonard's mind and found out the reason. "He is defeated and hopeless. Like a Pokémon that lost an important fight. It is curious, physically nothing would indicate that. He must have suffered for a while, but now he just resists…waiting for the next blow."

Leonard picked up a bunch of wool that had fallen down from the old woman's coat. –Here, mom. – Thank you.

Tennyson directed his attention towards the youngest member of the group, a redheaded girl. She wasn't older than eighteen years old, and she was smiling. Her eyes were cloudy and hopeful. Tennyson intruded her mind and found the reason. She was daydreaming, although he couldn't see the images. She clearly was happier in that place in his imagination than in the real world.

Suddenly Tennyson noted something. He opened his eyes and the girl's hands had a big piece of cloth, and she was destroying it, tearing it into small pieces. Tennyson felt afraid for her, the happy smile, the dreamy eyes and the destructive hands.


End file.
